Trousers stretcher and creaser



C. H. KIRBY TROUSERS STRETCHER AND CREASER Filed Oct. 2O 1923 PatentedAugs 26, i924.

Yi,5i06,244

CLYDE H. KIRBY, 0F EVERTON, MISSOURI.;

TROUSERS Application led October 20, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLYDE H. KTRBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Everton, in the county of Dade and @tate of lffissouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Trousers Stretchers andCreasers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trousers stretchers andcreasers, and has for its object to provide a cheap, simple, andefiicient device, by which a pair of tro-users may be held andstretched, so that all of the wrinkles may be removed and a creasepressed in the back and front of the leg portions.

The invention will be found extremely serviceable for maintaining thecrease formed in trousers during the period when the same are stored,and embodies construction whereby the device may be reduced to a compactform when not in use. Also, the device will remove objectionable baggingat the knees of the trousers and avoid glossing of the trousers whencreasing the same.

Another object 0f the invention is to provide means whereby the legs ofa pair of trousers may be separately engaged for creasing and stretchingthe same.

Still another object is to provide a simple and improved means forspreading the trousers engaging clamp by means of which the trouserswill be effectively stretched.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is betterunderstood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination, andarrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in theaccompanying drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a side elevational view of an apparatus constructed andarranged in accordance with the present invention, the apparatus beingshown in service.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantiallyupon the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view, takenthrough one STRETCHER ANI) CREASER.

Serial No. 669,799.

of the trousers engaging clamps above one of the screw clamps, and

Figure 4 is a view of one of the trousers rngaging clamps in openposition.

As seen in the drawings, the apparatus employs six bar like leaves 5that are associated in units of three leaves each to form a pair ofthree part clamps, the leaves of each of which are permanently united bymeans of hinges 6. This provides a construction by means of which thelegs of a pair of trousers may be separately engaged, one leg` of thetrousers being disposed between the intermediate member 0f one clamp andone of the outer members thereof, and the other leg of the trousersbeing engaged between said intermediate member and the other outermember of the clamp as shown in Figure 2. By means of this construction,the trousers may be arranged in a very neat condition, so that each legthereof will be properly disposed and held.

lThe leaves 5 are held in service by a screw clamp 7, any number ofwhich may be employed. in the drawings, four of the screw clamps 7 areshown, and constitute a sufiicient number to be ordinarily used. Asshown each clamp is provided with a screw 8 threaded through a U-beam 9.

Associated with the trousers engaging clamps are a pair of spreadingdevices by means of which said clamps are yieldably separated forstretching the trousers engaged thereby. Each spreading device embodiesa pair of transversely extending bars 10, the opposite ends of which areconnected in parallel spaced relation by means of transverse pins 1l andthe bars 10 of each spreading device are arranged at opposite sides ofthe clamp as shown clearly in Figure 2 and of greater length than thewidth of the trousers legs as shown clearly in Figure 1. Theintermediate leaf 5 of one of the trousers engaging clamps is providedin its outer edge with a pair of rigid hooks l2, one of which engagesthe cross pin 11 at one end of each of the spreading devices. Theintermediate leaf of the other trousers engaging clamp is provided witha similar pair of hooks 13, with which are engaged the inner ends of .tpair of helical tension springs 14, which have their outer ends engagedwith hooks 15 provided upon the cross pins 11 at the other ends of thespreading devices. When arranging the apparatus for service, the leaves5 of each three part trousers engaging clamp are spread, after which thetrousers are folded and placed with the legs thereof separately engagedbetween the leaves. When the leaves of the clamps are engaged tightlyover the trousers legs the clamps 7 are installed in service and thescrews 8 are manipulated toexert a closing pressure on said leaves andon the intervening trousers legs. After the creased edges at one side ofthe trousers have been secured, the folded edges of the opposite side ofthe trousers are placed between the leaves 5 of the opposite trousersengaging clamps and the clamps 7 therefore are manipulated as abovedescribed with respect to the first pair. It will be understood that theopposite edges of both legs of the trousers are creased at the same timeand separately held between the leaves of the trousers engaging clamps.After the two pairs of clamps have, been secured, the spreading devicesare installed, as shown in Figure 2, with the hooks 12 and 13 of thetrousers engaging clamps respectively engaged with the pins at one endof each of the pairs of bars 10 and withvthe inner ends of the springslll that are connected to the other ends of said bars. In this position,the springs 14 eXert a spreading Aaction upon the trousers engagingclamp for stretching the trousers and removing creases therefrom betweenthe edges of the same engaged by the clamps and the trousers may besuspended or hung away by any suitable means as generally indicated at16 in Figure l.

' From the above description, it is believed that the construction andoperation as well as the advantages of the present invention will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new is:

1. An apparatus as characterized comprising a plurality of creasingleaves pivotally connected to provide a pair of trousers engagingclamps, the leaves of which open boolrwise, a plurality of screw clampsfor compressing said leaves upon each other, a pair of rigid hooksprojecting outwardly from a leaf of each trousers engaging clamp, pairsof bars arranged .at opposite sides of said trousers engaging clamps andextending transversely of the upper and lower ends of the latter, thebars of each pair being connected by transverse pins, one of saidtransverse pins of each pair of bars being engaged by one of said hooks,yieldable tension springs engaging the other hook and attached to theother cross pin of said pairs of bars whereby said trousers engagingclamps are yieldably'separated or spread relative to each other. s

2. An apparatus as characterized comprising a pair of trousers engagingclamps composed of a plurality of leaves hingedly connected to openbookwise, and spreading devices for said trousers engaging clamps, saidspreading devices including pairs of transversely-extending barsarranged at opposite sides of the clamps andconnected in parallel spacedrelation at their ends by means of transverse pins, tension springsconnecting one of said clamps with the pins at one end of each of saidbars, and hooks carried by the other clamp engaging the outer pin ofsaid bars. v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLYDE H. KIRBY.

